Forest Man

Reincarnation, as it is usually taught and understood, i.e. in its eastern sense, is one of the most cruel dogmas ever invented by religion. It is only better than the dogma of eternal damnation, and reminds of it a lot. Think, having to live a thousand lives in an earthly body with all its sufferings. It is like an eternal hell that never ends. Because, truly, in comparison to heaven and indigenous, wild life in the djungle, civilized life is like living in a hell. 

 

Almost all spiritualists and New Age:rs nowadays believe in reincarnation (surprise, famous New Age:r Doreen Virtue stopped believing in reincarnation and became Christian 2017, of a quite fundamentalistic sort). That dogma has spread in the western world like an epidemic since its roots in nineteenth century Theosophy and Spiritualism. It was not so popular in the beginning. Both those traditions, Theosophy and Spiritualism, did not teach it in the beginning. Swedenborg did not believe in it, Andrew Jackson Davis (1826-1910) (founder of anglosaxic spiritualism) didn't believe in it, Arthur Findlay (1883-1964) didn't believe in it. 

 

But there is no need for black-and-white thinking here. There namely seems to be some evidence for a mild version of the dogma in e.g. the work of psychiatry professor Ian Stevenson (1918-2007). It might be explained by the idea that reincarnation may be a big exception in the universe, in the normal sense of the word reincarnation, that maybe very few people experience it, and then only once, and then only for a very special missionary purpose. Not to atone for sins or bad karma, that gives a horrible image of God, but for special heavenly "operations". Maybe only a few thousand people globally experience it in every generation. And these souls are very holy and brave and strong, they have to be it, so tough it is to live here on earth twice, and they do it often first after being for a long time in the Spirit World. 

 

I also believe there is a heavenly form of reincarnation, a heavenly cycle in the heavenly worlds, that one dies also in heaven, and is reborn in some higher sphere. The Swedish psychic from the fifties, Olof Jönsson (1918-1998) (who had the gift to astral travel), taught some version of this idea, the idea is also to be found in Victor Zammit's work *. Victor Zammit, important as a witness to David Thompson's spirit materialisations, has also stated that "Not everybody has to 'reincarnate'." (from this page)

 

 

*  "Ultimately, there will come a time when you have to increase your vibrations by increased spirituality to continue to spiritually refine and graduate to a higher realm where circumstances would be much more beautiful and better than the one you were in before.

 This “transition” to the next sphere happens gradually and naturally. You find yourself going into a deep sleep and awaken on the next level.

In the higher spheres, you will be able to recall and see any event in any period of your existence three dimensionally."

(from this page)

 

For further study, see:

"The Doctrine of Re-incarnation” by Emma Hardinge Britten, in The Spiritual Scientist for May 20, 1875 (An early spiritualist and medium skeptical of reincarnation)